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Wenger backs England

Arsene Wenger says England have what it takes to win the World Cup - and predicts they are only going to get better.

The former Arsenal boss, now Fifa’s global head of football development and head of the Qatar 2022 technical study group, believes Gareth Southgate’s men can go all the way.

Wenger said: “The big teams have turned up at this World Cup.

“Like the rest of them, England have been inconsistent in the group phase.

“They were absolutely outstanding in the first game against Iran but then struggled in the second game against the USA.

“Then they came back when needed against Wales to give a convincing performance.”

Wenger added: “They have been up and down, like all of the big countries.

“But I would say that England are one of the countries that has learned a lot from their recent competitions.

“They were in the last four in 2018 and then reached the final of Euro 2020.

“Contrary to someone like Belgium, who have passed their peak, England look a team that is now at their peak to deliver and has learned. And it is still a young team.

“Gareth Southgate is a very intelligent man and he is capable of analysing all the games and the performances as a team and as individual players.

“He is like his team.

“Gareth has learned from the World Cup and the Euros and is now in a situation to deliver.”

Wenger’s verdict on England was backed up by Germany legend Jurgen Klinsmann, who said: “The England situation is fascinating because you can see the progression from Russia and the Euros, when you thought they were right there to win it and found the last piece was missing.

“But Gareth Southgate has only one goal here and that is to bring the trophy home.

“This is a new phase of the competition. Once the knock-out phase starts it’s a completely new tournament.

“You have a different mental approach. It switches something in your brain and turns it on.

“If you don’t feel 100 per cent right on the day, it can all go with one mistake or a set-piece.

“But this is what you live for.

“I wish England good luck because we can all see the progression.

“They are coming. The team is very deep with high quality players who perform in the best league in the world, because the Premier League IS apart from all the other top leagues in Europe, everybody watches all the superstars.

“It’s a good time to deliver now.”

Wenger, who appeared to suggest that first round flops Denmark, Belgium and Germany had allowed themselves to be distracted by off-field issues in Qatar, presented a statistical review of the opening stage which confirmed some emerging trends.

Goals direct from open-play crosses are up 83 per cent on Russia four years ago, goals from outside the box are markedly down and the development of goalkeepers as critical release valves has grown exponentially.

Wenger added: “From what we have seen so far, the team with the best wide players will win the tournament.

“But we have also seen the importance of the goalkeeper as a playmaker.

“Most of us inside the game have long considered the keepers as a union apart but now they have to be viewed as a crucial part of any team.

“Passes to the keeper have more than doubled. They are the first link. That is the modern evolution of the game.”

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